Performance of Direct Filtration with Multi-Media Filters for Reuse of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent, A Case Study; Baharan Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant

The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility of using the downflow filtration process using multi-media filters as a good alternative to the reuse of wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant of Baharan Industrial Town, Hamadan, Iran. The experiments were carried out with a pilot-scale reactor and three variants of the filter medium including Garnet, Silica, and Anthracite. To achieve the aims of the present study, the effectiveness of three different coagulants including poly aluminum chloride (PAC), sulfate aluminum (Alum), and ferric chloride (FeCl۳) were investigated. Different operational parameters, i.e., turbidity, TS, TSS, TDS, COD, BOD۵, TP, and heavy metals were investigated before and after filtration. The results indicated that the best coagulant for the coagulation process was alum (the concentration of ۴۰۰ mg/L). Also, the maximum removal efficiency of turbidity, TS, TSS, TDS, COD, BOD۵, and TP were ۹۶.۹۹-۰.۶, ۲۵.۶۴-۳.۶, ۹۷.۰۲-۰.۶, ۱۹.۳۱-۳.۹, ۸۰.۸۹-۳, ۸۱.۶-۳, and ۸۳.۲۰-۲.۱۴% at a surface load of ۵m/hr after contact time of ۶ hr, respectively. The maximum removal rate of heavy metals was ۵۸.۹% after ۹ hours of filter operation at a surface load of ۵ m/hr. The use of a direct filtration process with multi-bed filters could provide the possibility of use of the wastewater treatment plant effluent of Baharan industrial town in agriculture so that this effluent can be employed as a water resource.

Keywords:

Direct filtration , Multi-media filters , Wastewater reuse , Baharan industrial town